Schools worry $3.2M award could hurt levy requests

Local school officials concerned federal funds could hurt Nov. 2 requests for operating funds.

Ohio wins $400M in ‘Race to the Top’ funds; local districts will get money

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By Margo Rutledge Kissell, Staff Writer Updated 10:33 PM Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Nine area school districts that will receive a combined $3.2 million in federal “Race to the Top” funding also have levies coming up on the November ballot.

The challenge now is convincing voters why they still need the levy funds.

Kettering, Oakwood, Trotwood-Madison, West Carrollton, Beavercreek, Xenia, Miami East and Bethel school districts will be asking voters to approve levies to help with operating expenses, for which they say Race to the Top funding cannot be used. Franklin City Schools is seeking a bond issue.

Some school officials worry that the federal funds may confuse voters when they hit polls on Nov. 2.

West Carrollton Superintendent Rusty Clifford wants to be sure that voters understand how the federal grant works and what it covers.

The Race to the Top funding is spread over four years, which works out to West Carrollton receiving about $120,000 a year to focus on tasks like trying to raise the graduation rate. The money cannot be spent on operations like utility bills, transportation costs or fuel. That’s what the additional three-year, 3.25-mill levy is for.

“We want to make sure people see that,” he said.

While Clifford plans to play up the grant win to voters because he believes it shows the district is being a good fiscal steward, Xenia Community Schools’ superintendent will intentionally down play its $566,662 Race to the Top funding.

Superintendent Deb Piotrowski said voters might think that funding can be used for operating expenses when they go to the polls to vote on the district’s 11.4-mill renewal levy, which will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $349.14 annually.

“People won’t understand,” she said, worried voters might think, “they just got all that money, why are they coming to us for more?”

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